Grades
by RaiLei
Summary: oneshot. Misty was always the perfectionist. Ash just wanted to have a good time. When they get partnered up, sparks start to fly.


Misty couldn't help but frown, glancing heatedly across the table.

She was a straight A student, student body president who'd spend hours doing her homework, double checking her answers. She wanted to do her best; she had it all planned out when she entered the Academy – she _was_ going Ivy League.

And God help anyone who stood in her way.

When Professor Elm said they were going to do a group project worth twenty five percent of their grade, she had grinned. She was always in the same group; it was her, the level headed Brock who _had_ to have everything done to his specific standards and her perfectionist sister Zoey who analyzed every detail, catching any mistake.

Well, that was until he proclaimed they'd pick numbers out of a hat to choose partners.

"To shake it up," he had said with a laugh, producing a hat.

Misty had picked number fourteen, glancing warily at her classmates.

She noticed Drew and Conway glaring at each other, before switching pieces of paper underneath the table. She rolled her eyes; no doubt they wanted to work with their girlfriends. However, when she noticed Brock and Zoey sitting together, laughing about something, she wanted to scream, to throw something.

That was _so_ unfair!

"You're number fourteen too, huh?" Misty nodded, glancing up at them as they pulled a chair over, slumping down into it. "At least I get a _good_ looking partner."

Misty bristled at the laid back words, glaring across the table. Her glare fell short, her temper getting the better of her. She paused, her thoughts running around in circles; coming back to _you've got to be kidding me_.

Why did she _have_ to get paired with _**him**_? He was the exact opposite of her . . .

Ash Ketchum, the class joker – he'd just _have_ to pick the same number as her, wouldn't he? He slept in Math class, mocked the literary classics in English, got paint everywhere but the canvas in Art and blew off History to skateboard in the parking lot.

_I'm going to be graded because of him_, she thought as he fumbled with a pack of gum. _If I _fail_ because of him . . ._

She was going to kill him – or at least go crazy – by the end of it all.

"Alright," Misty said, shaking her head as she picked up their assignment paper. "Professor Elm wants us to pick either an aquatic or forestry area and observe the Pokémon residing there and make a report to give to the class in a week's time."

Placing the paper back on the table, she glanced up at Ash, rolling her eyes. It looked like he _wasn't_ even paying attention as he fixed his hat, popping in a piece of gum. "Forest," he said with a shrug.

Misty curled her nose up. "Bugs!" She forced down a shudder. "I _hate_ bugs! They're creepy and just . . . _ew_!"

Ash smirked, leaning back in his chair. "What? Don't tell me the sought after Misty Williams is afraid of a _little_ bug," he grinned as her face turned red, eyebrows coming together in anger. Laughing slightly, he leaned forward, his chairs' legs hitting the floor with a thump. "If I _have_ to . . . I'll protect you from the itty bitty bugs."

Misty gritted her teeth together; he was _mocking_ her. "I think I can handle it," she bit out, crossing her arms over her chest. "We're doing aquatic anyway."

"I never agreed to that," Ash commented, narrowing his eyes. "Aquatic is just so _boring_. But, you go ahead and do your aquatic thing – we can shake things up, you know? Argue the two points; weigh out the opportunities to see which ones _really_ the best."

"That's stupid," Misty said, drumming her fingers against the table. "Professor Elm would totally flip out."

No need to add, that should she graduate with high honors and a superb grade point average no less then ninety four point six, he would personally recommend her to every Ivy League _and_ write her a recommendation for Professor Oak's summer abroad internship.

"Well, whatever, he said – and I quote – _to shake things up_. This it that, and that's what we're doing; you'll learn to deal with it sweetheart. We both get what we want – hey, you got a piece of paper?"

"You could at least say please," she grumbled, ripping a page out of her binder.

Ash took it greedily, scrawling something across the page, taking up the entire space. "That's my email address – email me your report when you're done," Misty raised an eyebrow, folding up the paper he'd shoved at her. "I don't have time to hang out with you after work – don't know if I could _handle_ it either." he added as an undertone.

He didn't know the highly sought after, _pretty_ girl from the school could be so . . . _stubborn_. Maybe, he was glad that he forgot to hand in his application for student council vice president . . .

"Fine, whatever," Misty shrugged, scribbling down her own email. "Don't you dare send me chain letters, forwards or stupid videos –"

"Got it," Ash said, grabbing the paper from her, shoving it in his back pocket as the school bell rang. "See you around sweetheart – don't drown, alright? I'm not going to be there to rescue you now." Ash let out a laugh, slinging his bag over his shoulder, leaving the classroom.

"So, you got Ash Ketchum as your partner," Zoey commented, sitting down on Misty's desk. "You're lucky, he's a pretty funny guy –"

"He's annoying," Misty grumbled, dropping her head on the desk. "He won't listen to a thing I say! I want to do aquatic and he wants to do forestry – so he decided we're doing both and that we're going to _debate_ the subject –"

"Sounds rough," Brock said, dropping a hand onto Misty's shoulder. "But, you should be too hard on him, Mist; he knows what he's talking about."

"Yeah," Zoey piped up, tossing Misty's backpack at her. "Don't be so mean to the guy, you should just _give in_ for once – you'd get a better grade then."

"Why do I have to give in?" Misty muttered, pushing herself away from her desk. "It _always_ comes down to me!"

"You're just too used to people doing whatever you want to on council," Zoey said with a shrug. "Brock and I are going to the zoo tomorrow morning, you should come with us; it'll give you some good ideas for your project."

"Sure, whatever," Misty said with a shrug. "It'll get my mind off _Ash Ketchum_."

She didn't know why Zoey and Brock exchanged a glance with one another before breaking out into laughter. She raised an eyebrow – glancing from one to other, before shrugging her shoulders.

Sometimes, she wondered about her friends.

---

"So, what did you guys end up picking?" Misty asked, glancing at the zoo's map.

"We're doing aquatic," Brock said, pocketing the map. "The tour supposed to start at the Finneon's tank soon – we'll have to hurry if we want to catch it, Zoey."

The red haired girl nodded, slipping on her sunglasses. "It's going to take us _forever_ to get there," she said, shaking her head. "I'll race you there!"

"You're on," Brock said with a smirk.

"What tour?" Misty asked, glancing from one to the other. "I want to come along too."

Zoey rolled her eyes at Brock before turning to glance at her sister. "It's a tour the zookeepers put on; it's so going to help us out with our research! We're going to knock you off that high horse of yours."

Misty glared at them as they broke out laughing. "I'd like to see you try . . . but, we've got to hurry –"

"No way Misty," Brock said, grabbing her shoulders, whirling her around. "You're going over there to where the forestry Pokémon are – see what Ash is talking about. No complaints," he added, seeing her harsh glare.

Misty sighed, brushing Brock's hands away. "Fine, fine, don't be so pushy. I'll meet up with you in a couple hours for lunch then."

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Misty sighed. Why were they being _so_ pushy, they weren't usually . . . wait, what if they were secretly dating and didn't want her to know? Misty shook her head; no, her sister wasn't good at keeping secrets. She felt a shiver run down her spine, forcing a shudder back as she came across a glassed area, Caterpie's crawling everywhere.

_Gross, Gross_, Misty thought, picking up her pace. _I'm going to kill Zoey later . . ._

Secretly, she knew they wanted to torture her.

Wandering away from the glassed area – goosebumps running down her arms – she pulled her map out of her pocket, frowning. She didn't usually come to the forestry area, she thought idly as she folded the map to only show this section of the zoo.

It seemed it was bigger then she thought – there was _that_ many Forest (_Bug_) Pokémon?! This was going to be a _long_ day.

Shoving the map in her back pocket, she glanced up at the large message board of sorts that stood behind her, casting a shadow over her. Raising an eyebrow as she read the posters adorning the board; shaking her head.

She had no idea where she was going anyway, so she _might_ as well go on the zookeeper tour.

And, that was how Misty found herself climbing onto the trolley, slumping down into the back seats, pushing her sunglasses up. Imagine if someone from school saw her on the trolley . . . she'd _never_ hear the end of it . . .

"Alright, welcome to the tour! Today we're going to see some creepy crawlers up close and personal! If you don't like 'em – you better find another ride," Misty paused, she _knew_ that voice. "No takers? Well, don't say I didn't warn you!"

Misty rolled her eyes, biting back a laugh. It sounded like he was _talking_ to her, she thought idly as she looked up. She paused as her eyes landed on the brown clad zookeeper, his black hair sticking out underneath a green hat.

There was no way that Ash Ketchum was a zoo keeper . . .

But, when he spoke through his microphone, winking at her, she shook her head.

No _wonder_ he wanted to do forestry.

Breaking eye contact with him as he pointed to a glassed area to their left; Misty reached over, undoing her backpack before pulling out her binder. Twirling a pen through her fingers, she brought it down to the paper, taking notes.

Maybe, forestry would be easier . . .

An hour later, Misty flopped down underneath a shady tree, leaning back on her palms. She glanced around her surroundings – Brock and Zoey were supposed to be here soon.

"I will say, I didn't expect to see you sitting on the trolley," Ash commented, leaning against the tree trunk. "I thought you hated bugs."

"I do," Misty grumbled, glaring up at him. "But Zoey and Brock –"

"Ah," Ash said, nodding. "But, you should have seen your face when that Weedle fell from the trolley's roof and those Beedrill showed up. That was priceless; I wish I had _that_ on camera."

Misty let out a _humph!_ looking away from him. "That was not funny what-so-ever!"

"Don't worry _sweetheart_, I wouldn't have let them hurt you." Misty gritted her teeth together; his sarcastic sweetheart comment getting under her skin. "They're used to people anyway."

"Like I knew that," Misty said, picking herself up off the ground. "You could have mentioned that before!" She gave him a push for good measure.

And that was how Brock and Zoey found them; Ash lying on the ground, laughing manically with Misty standing over him, hands balled into fists as she glared at him. "So," Brock said; confusion on his face. "I see you found Ash."

Misty paused, turning around to glare at Brock. "You _knew_? That's why I got subjected to a Beedrill attack?"

Zoey blinked. "Sounds like you had a fun time Misty," she laughed, glancing at Brock. "If I were you, I'd run – I've seen that face before."

Brock nodded in agreement, turning on his heel, heading back the way he came. "See you later Ash!"

"Oh – I'm not done with you, get back here!" Misty yelled as she gave chase.

Zoey just shook her head, flopping down beside Ash, leaning against the tree trunk. "So did she really get attacked by a Beedrill? Tell me you have that on video . . ."

---

A/N –

After watching the _Camping It Up_ saga, I could just see Ash as the slacker in school.

Can't you just see him and Misty arguing over school projects?


End file.
